Maritime welfare charity Stella Maris is calling for swifter prosecution of rogue fishing companies following a BBC exposé revealing modern-day slavery aboard vessels operating in UK waters.
The BBC One Scotland documentary, Slavery at Sea, accuses Scottish company TN Trawlers of engaging in modern-day slavery and human trafficking. The documentary features interviews with several former workers who detailed their harrowing experiences aboard TN Trawlers’ ships.
Stella Maris chief executive Tim Hill highlighted the charity’s decade-long commitment to supporting fishers trapped in slavery and labour exploitation.
“Stella Maris is engaged with a number of agencies in calling for greater urgency in dealing with cases,” he said, praising the BBC’s decision to air the programme.
“This is an invisible crime, taking place out of sight at sea. The authorities and welfare organisations must get better at recognising what modern day slavery is, reporting it and supporting swift criminal prosecutions against those few bad operators.”
Between 2012 and 2020, the UK Home Office identified 35 individuals from the Philippines, Ghana, India, and Sri Lanka as victims of modern slavery, having worked for TN Trawlers, which is owned by the Nicholson family and based in Annan, Scotland.
Hill emphasised that while most fishing companies treat their employees well, a minority exploit vulnerable workers from developing countries.
Despite reporting several cases to the authorities, Hill lamented the slow pace of prosecutions, leaving victims in prolonged uncertainty.
“Some fishers are stuck in the UK for years, not seeing their families while they wait for justice that may or may not come. A successful prosecution is necessary to deter appalling and illegal mistreatment of fishers,” he said.
